of　further　progress；　with　the　assurance　that　there　would　be　no　lack
  of　opportunity　for　them　to　obtain　still　more。
  〃This　was　all；〃　he　continues；　〃that　I　thought　your　countrymen　able
  to　bear　soberly　and　usefully。〃
  Arthur　Young；　who　studies　the　moral　life　of　France　so
  conscientiously；　and　who　is　so　severe　in　depicting　old　abuses；
  cannot　comprehend　the　conduct　of　the　Commons。
  〃To　set　aside　practice　for　theory　。　。　。　　in　establishing　the
  interests　of　a　great　kingdom；　in　securing　freedom　to　25；000；000　of
  people；　seems　to　me　the　very　acme　of　imprudence；　the　very
  quintessence　of　insanity。〃
  Undoubtedly；　now　that　the　Assembly　is　all…powerful；　it　is　to　be
  hoped　that　it　will　be　reasonable：
  〃I　will　not　allow　myself　to　believe　for　a　moment　that　the
  representatives　of　the　people　can　ever　so　far　forget　their　duty　to
  the　French　nation；　to　humanity；　and　their　own　fame；　as　to　suffer　any
  inordinate　and　impracticable　views　…　any　visionary　or　theoretic
  systems　…　。　。　。　　to　turn　aside　their　exertions　from　that　security
  which　is　in　their　hands；　to　place　on　the　chance　and　hazard　of　public
  commotion　and　civil　war　the　invaluable　blessings　which　are　certainly
  in　their　power。　　　I　will　not　conceive　it　possible　that　men　who　have
  eternal　fame　within　their　grasp　will　place　the　rich　inheritance　on
  the　cast　of　a　die；　and；　losing　the　venture；　be　damned　among　the
  worst　and　most　profligate　adventurers　that　ever　disgraced　humanity。〃
  As　their　plan　becomes　more　definite　the　remonstrances　become　more
  decided；　and　all　the　expert　judges　point　out　to　them　the　importance
  of　the　wheels　which　they　are　willfully　breaking。
  〃As　they　have＇21＇　hitherto　felt　severely　the　authority　exercised
  over　them　in　the　name　of　their　princes；　every　limitation　of　that
  authority　seems　to　them　desirable。　　　Never　having　felt　the　evils　of
  too　weak　an　executive；　the　disorders　to　be　apprehended　from　anarchy
  make　as　yet　no　impression〃　　〃They　want　an　American
  Constitution；＇22＇　but　with　a　King　instead　of　a　President；　without
  reflecting　they　have　no　American　citizens　to　support　that
  Constitution。　。　。　　If　they　have　the　good　sense　to　give　the　nobles；
  as　nobles；　some　portion　of　the　national　power；　this　free
  constitution　will　probably　last；　But　otherwise　it　will　degenerate
  either　into　a　pure　monarchy；　or　a　vast　republic；　or　a　democracy。
  Will　the　latter　last？　I　doubt　it。　　　I　am　sure　that　it　will　not；
  unless　the　whole　nation　is　changed。〃
  A　little　later；　when　they　renounce　a　parliamentary　monarchy　to　put
  in　its　place　〃a　royal　democracy；〃　it　is　at　once　explained　to　them
  that　such　an　institution　applied　to　France　can　produce　nothing　but
  anarchy；　and　finally　end　in　despotism。
  〃Nowhere＇23＇　has　liberty　proved　to　be　stable　without　a　sacrifice
  of　its　excesses；　without　some　barrier　to　its　own　omnipotence。　。　。　　。
  Under　this　miserable　government　。　。　。　　the　people；　soon　weary　of
  storms；　and　abandoned　without　legal　protection　to　their　seducers　or
  to　their　oppressors；　will　shatter　the　helm；　or　hand　it　over　to　some
  audacious　hand　that　stands　ready　to　seize　it。〃
  Events　occur　from　month　to　month　in　fulfillment　of　these
  predictions；　and　the　predictions　grow　gloomier　and　more　gloomy。　　　It
  is　a　flock　of　wild　birds：＇24＇
  〃It　is　very　difficult　to　guess　whereabouts　the　flock　will　settle
  when　it　flies　so　wild。　。　。　　。　This　unhappy　country；　bewildered　in
  the　pursuit　of　metaphysical　whims；　presents　to　our　moral　view　a
  mighty　ruin。　　　The　Assembly；　at　once　master　and　slave；　new　in　power；
  wild　in　theory；　raw　in　practice；　engrossing　all　functions　without
  being　able　to　exercise　any；　has　freed　that　fierce；　ferocious　people
  from　every　restraint　of　religion　and　respect。　。　。　　。　　Such　a　state
  of　things　cannot　last　。　。　。　　The　glorious　opportunity　is　lost　and
  for　this　time；　at　least；　the　Revolution　has　failed。〃
  We　see；　from　the　replies　of　Washington；　that　he　is　of　the　same
  opinion。　　　On　the　other　side　of　the　Channel；　Pitt；　the　ablest
  practician；　and　Burke；　the　ablest　theorist；　of　political　liberty；
  express　the　same　judgment。　　　Pitt；　after　1789；　declares　that　the
  French　have　overleaped　freedom。　　　After　1790；　Burke；　in　a　work　which
  is　a　prophecy　as　well　as　a　masterpiece；　points　to　military
  dictatorship　as　the　termination　of　the　Revolution；　〃the　most
  completely　arbitrary　power　that　has　ever　appeared　on　earth。〃　Nothing
  is　of　any　effect。　　　With　the　exception　of　the　small　powerless　group
  around　Malouet　and　Mounier；　the　warnings　of　Morris；　Jefferson；
  Romilly；　Dumont；　Mallet　du　Pan；　Arthur　Young；　Pitt　and　Burke；　all　of
  them　men　who　have　experience　of　free　institutions；　are　received　with
  indifference　or　repelled　with　disdain。　　　Not　only　are　our　new
  politicians　incapable；　but　they　think　themselves　the　contrary；　and
  their　incompetence　is　aggravated　by　their　infatuation。
  〃I　often　used　to　say；　〃writes　Dumont；＇25＇　〃that　if　a　hundred
  persons　were　stopped　at　haphazard　in　the　streets　of　London；　and　a
  hundred　in　the　streets　of　Paris；　and　a　proposal　were　made　to　them　to
  take　charge　of　the　Government；　ninety…nine　would　accept　it　in　Paris
  and　ninety…nine　would　refuse　it　in　London　。　。　。　　The　Frenchman
  thinks　that　all　difficulties　can　be　overcome　by　a　little　quickness
  of　wit。　　　Mirabeau　accepted　the　post　of　reporter　to　the　Committee　on
  Mines　without　having　the　slightest　tincture　of　knowledge　on　the
  subject。〃
  In　short；　most　of　them　enter　politics　〃like　the　gentleman　who；　on
  being　asked　if　he　knew　how　to　play　on　the　harpsichord；　replied；　'I
  cannot　tell；　I　never　tried；　but　I　will　see。'　〃
  〃The　Assembly　had　so　high　an　opinion　of　itself；　especially　the
  left　side　of　it；　that　it　would　willingly　have　undertaken　the　framing
  of　the　Code　of　Laws　for　all　nations。　。　。　　Never　has　so　many　men　been
  seen　together；　fancying　that　they　were　all　legislators；　and　that
  they　were　there　to　correct　all　the　errors　of　the　past；　to　remedy　all
  mistakes　of　the　human　mind；　and　ensure　the　happiness　of　all　ages　to
  come。　　　Doubt　had　no　place　in　their　minds；　and　infallibility　always
  presided　over　their　contradictory　decrees。〃
  This　is　because　they　have　a　theory　and　because；　according　to　their
  notion；　this　theory　renders　special　knowledge　unnecessary。　　　Herein
  they　are　thoroughly　sincere；　and　it　is　of　set　purpose　that　they
  reverse　all　ordinary　modes　of　procedure。　　　Up　to　this　time　a
  constitution　used　to　be　organized　or　repaired　like　a　ship。
  Experiments　were　made　from　time　to　time；　or　a　model　was　taken　from
  vessels　in　the　neighborhood；　the　first　aim　was　to　make　the　ship
  sail；　its　construction　was　subordinated　to　its　work；　it　was
  fashioned　in　this　or　that　way　according　to　the　materials　on　hand；　a
  beginning　was　made　by　examining　these　materials；　and　trying　to
  estimate　their　rigidity；　weight；　and　strength。　　…　　　All　this　is
  reactionary；　the　age　of　Reason　has　come　and　the　Assembly　is　too
  enlightened　to　drag　on　in　a　rut。　　　In　conformity　with　the　fashion　of
  the　time　it　works　by　deduction；　after　the　method　of　Rousseau；
  according　to　an　abstract　notion　of　right；　of　the　State　and　of　the
  social　compact。＇26＇　　According　to　this　process；　by　virtue　of
  political　geometry　alone；　they　shall　have　the　perfect　vessel　and
  since　it　perfect　it　follows　that　it　will　sail；　and　that　much　better
  than　any　empirical　craft。　　…　　They　legislate　according　to　this
  principle；　and　one　may　imagine　the　nature　of　their　discussions。
  There　are　no　convincing　facts；　no　pointed　arguments；　nobody　would
  ever　imagine　that　the　speakers　were　gathered　together　to　conduct
  real　business。　　　Through　speech　after　speech；　strings　of　hollow
  abstractions　are　endlessly　renewed　as　in　a　meeting　of　students　in
  rhetoric　for　the　purpose　of　practice；　or　in　a　society　of　old
  bookworms　for　their　own　amusement。　　　On　the　question　of　the　veto
  〃each　orator　in　turn；　armed　with　his　portfolio；　reads　a　dissertation
  which　has　no　bearing　whatever〃　on　the　preceding　one；　which　makes　a
  〃sort　of　academical　session；〃＇27＇　a　succession　of　pamphlets　fresh
  every　morning　for　several　days。　　　On　the　question　of　the　Rights　of
  Man　fifty…four　speakers　are　placed　on　the　list。
  〃I　remember；〃　says　Dumont；　〃that　long　discussion；　which　lasted　for
  weeks；　as　a　period　of　deadly　boredom；　　vain　disputes　over　words；　a
  metaphysical　jumble；　and　most　tedious　babble；　the　Assembly　was
  turned　into　a　Sorbonne　lecture…room；〃
  and　all　this　while　chateaux　were　burning；　while　town…halls　were
  being　sacked；　and　courts　dared　no　longer　hold　assize；　while　the
  distribution　of　wheat　was　stopped；　and　while　society　was　in　course
  of　dissolution。　　　In　the　same　manner　the　theologians　of　the　Easter
  Roman　Empire　kept　up　their　wrangles　about　the　uncreated　light　of
  Mount　Tabor　while　Mahomet　II　was　battering　the　walls　of
  Constantinople　with　his　cannon。　　…　　Ours；　of　course；　are　another
  sort　of　men；　juvenile　in　feeling；　sincere；　enthusiastic；　even
  generous；　and　further；　more　devoted；　laborious；　and　in　some　cases
  endowed　with　rare　talent。　　　But　ne